Podcast Reviews

Alright! Well this podcasting thing is better than I thought!

On the plane this past weekend, I listened to the 5 podcasts that I downloaded last week. I really enjoyed 2 of them, thought 1 was pretty good but wasn't interested in the content, and decided that the last 2 really needed some work. All in all, these people take their podcasts seriously! I was expecting them to sound like someone recording their voice over their PCs built-in mic, with a lot of stammering, background noise, and general unprofessionalism. Man, was I wrong. All 5 were of great quality, both in DJ-ing ability and sound. It was like I was tuned into NPR!

Here's the rundown of my picks for last week:

Screwtops (www.screwtops.com) - It had the potential to be funny but never really hit the mark. It was basically a couple of guys sitting around and talking about wine and beer. Given that it was a bit over 60 minutes long, and that I couldn't take much more than 5 minutes of it, I'll rate it a "C -." I jumped around a bit, just to see if it got funnier as it went along, but it never happened. I'll have to give it another chance in a few weeks.

Wine Cast (www.winecast.net) - This guy is great. Definitely on my "favorites" list. I listened to his January 30th cast about Pinot Noir, along with a review of the movie "Sideways." Just a great, engaging personality, funny, and easy to listen to. Plus, some really good, really concise wine reviews.

Grape Radio (www.graperadio.com) - This was another good one! Basically, just a conversation with the owner of White Rose Wines. Very entertaining, light and funny. Although, the guest had a good presence, so that might have had something to do with its charm.

Talking About Wine (www.talkingaboutwine.com) - Well, the podcast was entitled "Chile Wine Tour Part 15," and I missed parts 1 through 14, so I guess that's why I wasn't too interested. But, it was only 3 or 4 minutes long, so short enough to tolerate. Again, I'll have to give it another chance.

Cooking on the Radio (www.cookingontheradio.com) - Um, I think I fell asleep after the first few minutes. Very monotone, and not really engaging.

Well, that's all for now. I'll try to review some others in the weeks ahead.

Look for pictures and posts from our trip to Sun Valley as well!